From 700 Square Feet to a 10,000-Square-Foot Icon: Starbound’s Story

Starbound Records: The Buildings Behind West Valley’s Musical Legacy

Starbound Records opened its doors on April 6, 1982, in a modest 700-square-foot space tucked behind Doug’s TV and Appliance on 3500 South in West Valley City. Though small, the location was perfectly positioned in the back of the building, which would later become part of the much larger Starbound complex.

After a few years, business was booming, and Starbound moved to the adjacent building to the east, previously occupied by A1 Vacuum. Limburg negotiated with A1 Vacuum to take half of their space, leaving Starbound the other half, plus the vacant spaces behind the store. To make the new location stand out, Limburg painted the building bright yellow with large 32-inch red letters reading “STARBOUND RECORDS” on the east side — a clever design to catch the eyes of westbound travelers on 3500 South. The sign worked: business skyrocketed almost immediately.

As the record collection grew, Starbound even added a 40-foot trailer at the back of the building, with doors inside allowing customers to browse vinyl records directly from the trailer. City officials were hesitant about the addition, but Limburg negotiated extra time while continuing to lease and expand the building.

Eventually, Starbound purchased the entire shopping complex, including the original 10,000-square-foot building and surrounding spaces that housed other tenants like Riverton Music. With careful management and the loyalty of both employees and customers, the store operated without interruption, growing into a beloved West Valley landmark until it closed in 2005.

It was tragic when the building was demolished in 2014